Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Taranto's outstanding National Archaeological Museum (MArTA) occupies the historic premises of the ex-monastery of San Pasquale. The museum dates from 1887, and its collection of Greek and Roman antiquities is considered to be one of the most important in Italy. Admire the rich cache of tomb goods, including magnificent gold jewelry, objects in ivory and bone, and rare colored glass. A display of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim funeral epitaphs, dating from the 4th century, demonstrate the peaceful coexistence of the three religions in this multicultural Mediterranean hub from the Byzantine era to the Middle Ages.
The monumental Castel Sant'Angelo, more commonly referred to as the Castello Aragonese, guards the drawbridge leading from the island center of Taranto to the newer city on the mainland. The castle is occupied by the Italian navy, but it's open to the public, and navy personnel conduct regular, free guided tours. The castle, built in its present form by King Ferdinand of Aragon, king of Naples, in the 15th century, contains ruins of older Greek, Byzantine, and Norman constructions as well as the Renaissance Chapel of San Leonardo.
Originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena before San Cataldo (St. Cathal of Munster) got the Papal nod, Puglia's oldest duomo has 5th-century origins and been rebuilt several times—its present shape layered on top of an 11th-century Byzantine layout. Striking features include the ornate Baroque facade (1713) by the Leccese Mauro Manieri, geometric motifs in the nave and transept, 16 ancient marble columns with ornate capitals, and a recently rebuilt campanile and 1657 cupola.
Taranto's most important monument is the ancient church and monastery of San Domenico in the heart of the centro storico. Situated on the narrow strip of land that divides Taranto's two bays, Mare Piccolo and Mare Grande, the present, rather neglected church rises over the ancient Greek acropolis of Taranto where the city is considered to have originated. The statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, much venerated by the local people, stands in the last chapel on the left. Pop into the beautiful 13th-century cloister for a moment's respite from sightseeing.
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